Pearce hits the accelerator

Matt Rigby | Metropolitan Racing | Thu 15 November, 2012

While he has a strong pedigree for the game, being the son of former trainer Colin Pearce and the brother of Ben Pearce, Dan learned his horsemanship from an early age via working for Geoff Durrant before he headed off to Sydney with his eventing horse, basing himself with Olympic and World Championship legend, Heath Ryan. He ran the breeding programme for Ryan while placing twice himself  in two World Cup Qualifiers in eventing.

Dan then began breaking horses in for Darren Smith and Alan Scorse and in the early days for Patinack Farm’s Jason Coyle.

Pearce was given his leg up by his father, who bought him a cheap horse by the name of Field Commotion, to cut his teeth in the training ranks. He won a few races and really gave Dan the thirst for winners. He was then thrown a line when asked to educate Lauradane, Playcidium Mint and Public Perception.  All won races and Dan failed by just a length on two occasions with Lauradane, in achieving  black type success, running second to Playing God and Dreamaway in the respective Guineas. 

If you hadn’t heard of any of those horses, you have surely heard of Travinator, whom alongside Barakey, is one of WA’s most exciting sprinting stars. Bred by his father Colin, Travinator has now won 7 of his 9 starts in a meteoric rise to Group 1 company, when he takes on the Winterbottom Stakes later this month. Travinator has certainly planted the foot on the accelerator driving Daniel’s career.

Dan was desperately unlucky not to have clinched two more feature wins when his 2yo filly, Keeper Quiet, sat wide and was narrowly denied success in both the Karrakatta Plate and the Sires Produce Stakes earlier this year. Luke’s Luck ofcourse was crowned two year old of the year, but with a reversal of luck in running, it could so easily have been Dan’s crowning moment.

Colin and Dan have attended yearling sales for the last few years and have a proven eye for choosing horses that can run. Last year’s batch produced some excellent early trial results just a few weeks back with Captain Hughes, Bungalow Bay and Elite Flight.

Both will again go to the Gold Coast Sales in January in search of the next Travinator.

Daniel and Colin would like to welcome new owners to the stable and pride themselves in excellent communication, professionalism in horsemanship and most of all, both love to have a drink with their owners, win, lose or draw.

If you are interested in becoming an owner with this new, progressive stable, click on the banner at the top of the page and visit the website, or email myself or Colin ([email protected] or [email protected]).

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